More iPhone 8 news
29/09/2017: Reports surfacing from Taiwan suggest that an iPhone 8 has overheated and expanded during while being left on charge, a fault that is worryingly reminiscent of the battery flaw that plagued Samsung's infamous Galaxy Note 7.
Chinese site tech ifengreports that a woman from Taiwan claimed the screen on her recently purchased iPhone 8 lifted away from the body of the phone while charging, which was later discovered to have been caused by an expanding battery.
The woman, only referred to as Wu, allegedly pulled the plug on the phone minutes after leaving it to charge, over fears it might catch fire.
Pictures taken of the iPhone 8 Plus in question show a noticeable gap between the front screen panel and the sides of the phone, caused by the battery pushing the phone apart as it heated up.
A handful of Apple customers have reported almost identical problems with their new devices, including one user who alleged his iPhone 8 arrived with its screen detached from its body.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that Apple used Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) to supply the batteries for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus smartphones, the same company used by Samsung when developing the Note 7.
However the exact details of the incident remain unclear, and this could be an isolated case rather than an indication of a manufacturing flaw. Millions of these smartphones have been sold since its release last week, and only a handful of issues have been reported.
Apple said that it is currently investigating the issue, in an email to IT Pro.
Picture courtesy of tech ifeng
27/09/2017:A number of iPhone 8 owners are having problems with the handset's earpiece when they make calls, what is described as "crackling" sound which affects the audio.
Users have been onMacRumors forums, Reddit and Apple's support forum, as reported by The Verge, experiencing the issue.
Apple told the publication that it has encountered a "small number" of devices with this issue. A spokesperson said: "We are aware of the issue which is affecting customers in a small number of cases.
"Our team is at work on a fix, which will be included in an upcoming software release."
IT Pro has contacted Apple for comment.
Last week, the Apple Watch LTE was found to have problems making phone calls and using cellular data when it didn't have an iPhone nearby. Apple admitted it had connectivity problems when it was in the presence of open wifi networks. The tech giant is aiming to include a fix for the problem in a future software update.
iPhone 8 sales seemed a bit lacklustre following its launch on Friday and this may be because consumers are waiting for its older sibling to launch in November. Apple is set to launch its new flagship device, the iPhone X, with prices starting at 999. The new device comes with Face ID, a new way of unlocking your phone using your face instead of your finger. It will only recognise one face, however, which means only one person will be able to use the device at a time.
26/09/2017:It could be a very wise decision to buy a case for your shiny new iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, because it would seem the device is extremely expensive to repair if the glass back plate is damaged.
Although Apple has said the glass covering the screen and the back of the device is the "most durable glass ever in a smartphone, iFixit has revealed the back glass panel is covering a metal plate with a hole in it where the charging coil sits.
Because it's attached with so much glue, removing the back plate and then replacing it with another could take a lot of work and so will inevitably cost more than simply replacing the display.
This is supported by Apple's excess when a user requests repair. Although the screen is subject to a 25 fee every time it has to be fixed (up to twice a year under the AppleCare+ policy), the back comes under "other damage", which is subject to an upfront cost of 79 per incident.
If the rear is badly damaged, Apple will class this as "mass destruction" and won't even replace the part at all under its warranty, but will charge a whopping 356.44 according to Apple Insider.
Costs for replacing the iPhone 8 Plus' back are reportedly even higher.
22/09/2017: Apple's new iPhone is finally available for consumers to buy after pre-orders opened last week.
The device is priced at 699 for 64GB and 849 for the 256GB version. Two years of Apple Care+ costs 129 for the smartphone.
Insurance company InMyBag guarantees to repair or replace up to 5000 worth of gadgets in as little as four hours and always within 24 hours. Pricing is set out in different tiers, for example for up to 1000 of gadgets you will pay under 11.99 a month and for up to 2000 it will cost under 20.99 a month. For a 64GB or 256GB iPhone 8 it will cost consumers 11.77 a month for this service.
There have also been less people queuing at Apple stores worldwide for the launch of its new handsets, withReuters reporting there were fewer than 30 people lining up before the shop opened today in Sydney.
Yesterday, it emerged pre-orders for the phone were lower than previous years which caused Apple shares to fall from $158.73 to $154.48.
A number of fans have said they will hold out for the iPhone X's launch on 3 November, with pre-orders scheduled for 27 October. The iPhone X will have an AMOLED display, an M11 coprocessor with a "Neural Engine", dual 12MP rear-facing cameras and a front facing camera and sensor array as well. It will cost 999 for the 64GB version and 1149 for the 256GB version.
The Apple Watch Series 3 is scheduled to launch today as well. This week, a number of reviewers had problems using the LTE function on the device when it was not near its iPhone. An Apple spokesperson said the company was developing a fix for the issues which it would release in a future software update.
21/09/2017:Apple shares have fallen following news that iPhone 8 pre-orders have been lower than earlier models of the device.
Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang said pre-order numbers for the iPhone 8 fell below the numbers attained by the iPhone 7 and iPhone 6, as reported by Bloomberg.
Zhang also said demand for the device is even lower in China than before. He said buyers ordered 3.5 million iPhone 7 orders on the Chinese website JD but only ordered 1.5 million iPhone 8 devices this year.
On Tuesday, Apple stock was at $158.73 before falling to $154.48 the following day.
Zhang said: "We understand this does not reflect the iPhone 8 cycle as a whole since the iPhone X has not yet officially launched, but we are concerned." He added that iPhone 8 production may need to be reduced and the rate of production of the iPhone X may not be able to meet the demand for the new device.
The iPhone 8 will be available from tomorrow and will cost 699 for the 64GB version or 849 for 256GB. A number of fans said they would hold out and wait for the iPhone X which will be available from 3 November, with pre-orders opening up on 27 October. It will be priced at 999 and is expected to sell out quickly.
Additionally, Apple is experiencing problems with theApple Watch Series 3 LTE version as it turns out it has problems making calls and using cellular data when an iPhone is not present. The device seems to be joining open wifi networks which prevent the watch from using its cellular capabilities. Apple has said it is planning to release a fix in an upcoming software release.
15/09/2017: Pre-orders have officially opened for the iPhone 8, allowing eager customers to put their money down early.
The device doesn't arrive in stores for another week, hitting retail locations on 22 September, but many fans have opted to skip long launch day queues and potential stock shortages by buying online instead.
Pre-orders of Apple's newest iPhone generally sell out, particularly the larger 'Plus' variant. But while there have been some reports of the 256GB iPhone 8 Plus being listed as sold out, these stock problems appear to be resolved, and the Apple web store is showing full availability for pre-orders of all iPhone 8 and 8 Plus units.
However, rather than pre-ordering the iPhone 8, many fans have stated that they will be holding out for the iPhone X. The company's new flagship isn't available to pre-order for over a month, with fans having to wait until 27 October to get their orders in. The device will arrive in Apple stores on 3 November.
With fans excited at the prospect of an edge-to-edge OLED display and facial recognition, the iPhone X is expected to sell out quickly, even with a price point of almost 1,000.
One of the biggest features being introduced by the iPhone 8 is wireless charging. Although wireless charging has been a feature of Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy S8 for a number of years, Apple's adoption of the technology is likely to spur a boom in the number of locations that offer support for wireless charging.
Starbucks has announced that it will be adding iPhone-compatible wireless charging points to selected stores. Some of the coffee chain's locations feature Powermat wireless chargers, and SlashGear's Chris Davies reported that the company behind them is planning on updating them to support the Qi wireless charging standard used by the new iPhone.
12/09/2017: Apple has officially unveiled the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
As many rumours predicted, the company has gone back to the design seen on the iPhone 4, with glass on both the front and back surfaces. Apple claims it's the toughest glass ever used on a smartphone. The iPhone 8 has a 4.7in retina HD TrueTone display, with a 5.5in display for the 8 Plus.
The device uses Apple's brand new A11 Bionic chip, the successor to the A10X. Apple claims that the new chip is25% faster for single-threaded operations than the old A10 processor, and 70% faster for multitasking. Apple is particularly touting the benefits of the new chip for AR tasks, which are a big focus of the new iPhone - particularly for gaming.
The iPhone 8 also has an improved image processor, promising multiband noise reduction, better low-light performance. It has a new12MP camera sensor, letting in 83% more light than previously, as well as a new colour filter.
The iPhone 8 Plus' dual camera configuration also has new sensors - a wide-angle f/1.8 lens, and a telephoto f/2.8. Videos have been improved - there's new optimisation for high-definition shooting and even slower slow-motion filming at 240fps.
As expected, wireless charging has also been introduced, using the popular Qi open standard - meaning the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be compatible with existing wireless charging devices and accessories.
The iPhone 8 starts at $699, with 64GB and 128GB configurations available. The iPhone 8 Plus will start at $799, with the same configurations available. The new devices will be available for preorder September 15.
